The Beatles, Elton John On Best-Selling Singles List

As part of the 60th birthday celebrations of the Official Singles Chart, the 123 best selling songs of all time have been revealed.

Every track on the Official Charts Company’s extensive list has sold more than 1million copies earning them a place in the self-coined UK ‘Million Sellers Club’.

Despite the ever-expanding growth of singles sales, all songs in the top ten are older than 15 years old with Elton John’s ‘Candle In The Wind’ taking the top spot with 4.9million units shifted.

That number dwarfs second-place ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ by Band Aid in second spot (3.69million sales) and Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ in third place (2.36million).

The highest entry this side of the millennium is Will Young’s 2002 double A-side ‘Anything Is Possible / Evergreen’ in 14th place.

Amazingly when the Official Singles Chart reached its 50th birthday in 2002, only 76 singles had registered on the million-selling record books. Today, that figure has exploded to 123.

The earliest track to surpass the million mark was Bill Haley’s ‘(We’re Gonna) Rock Around The Clock’ in 1955, while music legends The Beatles dominate the countdown with six appearances including ‘She Loves You’ at number eight.

Bing Crosby’s 1942 classic ‘White Christmas’ is the oldest song on the list but didn’t smash through the seven-figure barrier until this decade.

Modern artists whose songs have reached the million sales landmark include Rihanna (‘We Found Love’, ‘Love The Way You Lie’, ‘Only Girl In The World’), Lady Gaga (‘Pokerface’), Adele (‘Someone Like You’) and Jessie J (‘Price Tag’).

The 1990’s is the most popular decade on the countdown with a whopping 32 entries while the 1970’s are in second spot with 27 songs.

The full top ten is as follows:

1. Something About the Way You Look Tonight/ Candle in the Wind 97 - Elton John (1997) 4.9m sales 2. Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid (1984) 3.69m sales 3. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen (1975) 2.36m sales 4. Mull of Kintyre/ Girls' School - Wings (1977) 2m sales 5. You're The One That I Want - John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John (1978) 2m sales 6. Rivers of Babylon/ Brown Girl in the Ring - Boney M (1978) 2m sales 7. Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood (1983) 2m sales 8. She Loves You - The Beatles (1963) 1.9m sales 9. Unchained Melody/ (There'll Be Bluebells Over) The White Cliffs of Dover - Robson Green & Jerome Flynn (1995) 1.86m sales 10. Love Is All Around - Wet Wet Wet (1984) 1.85m sales 11. Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord - Boney M (1978) 1.85m sales 12. I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder (1984) 1.83m sales 13. Barbie Girl - Aqua (1997) 1.79m sales 14. Anything Is Possible/Evergreen - Will Young (2002) 1.79m sales 15. I Want To Hold Your Hand - The Beatles (1963) 1.77m sales 16. Believe – Cher (1998) 1.74m sales 17. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You - Bryan Adams (1991) 1.72m sales 18. Last Christmas/Everything She Wants - Wham! (1984) 1.6m sales 19. Imagine - John Lennon (1975) 1.6m sales 20. Summer Nights - John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John (1978) 1.59m sales

The Official Charts Company’s book ‘The Million Sellers’ is available to pre-order right now.